Ark Start

Our growing early years network offering high quality, affordable care and firm educational foundations for the youngest children.

Ark Start website

Ark Start is  our growing nursery network providing high quality, affordable childcare to families. The programme has been designed by a group of qualified teachers committed to ensuring every child has a joyful, engaging and secure nursery experience, so that they start primary school happily and confidently. 

When children come to us from Ark Start, I know they’ve had a solid grounding. They know the relationship between adult and child. They know that school is all about learning and sharing your work with your teacher, because they’ve had that time at Ark Start where their moments are cherished and celebrated. Verbally, they’re so much more confident with sharing their opinions, sharing their needs. Instantly you can tell the difference.

Reception teacher | Ark John Archer Primary Academy

Ark Start helps parents to engage with their children’s nursery experience, and to access the wider support and services they need. As part of a coalition of individuals and organisations focused on ensuring children get the best start in life, Ark Start also seeks to shape wider policy and funding decisions on early years provision.

At Ark Start we believe that our communities deserve more. That means more purposeful interactions between teachers and children, more support for families and more career paths for staff – all leading to the end goal that children start school ready to thrive.

Molly Devlin | Headteacher, Ark Start In September 2024, Molly was appointed as an Expert Adviser to Ofsted.